


with your left hand in mine

by corsica



Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Fluff without Plot, Misunderstandings, takes place during the first battle in new york, this is so deeply corny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28950564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corsica/pseuds/corsica
Summary: Sometimes you go to New York to have a good time, sometimes you go to New York and get tricked into proposing to your Master.
Relationships: Female Fujimaru Ritsuka/Karna | Lancer, Fujimaru Ritsuka/Karna | Lancer of Red
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	with your left hand in mine

**Author's Note:**

> so i found out that [this](https://danbooru.donmai.us/data/__karna_fate_and_4_more_drawn_by_pako__265603ccf827b5c5773776bd0a6ef8de.jpg) [ outfit](https://danbooru.donmai.us/data/__karna_fate_and_4_more_drawn_by_pako__a0aaabb2ee630da44eddec0a0ead476f.jpg) i'd seen pixiv artists draw karna in was actually drawn by pako first because apparently he just loves dressing up his boys. god bless you pako, keep doing that real king shit.

“...It's been two and a half hours.”

He keeps an even stare on her as some earworm of a pop song pumps through the speakers of the clothing store they're in, but he has long since learned to tune out the samey music that these stores seem to play ad infinitum. Were he not a Servant, he imagines that the bright, overhead lights that have been identically blinding in the last dozen or so stores she's taken him to would have given him a migraine by now.

When she hears him speak, her ears twitch, and Tamamo pauses in her idle perusing of a circular rack of clothing to look up at Karna.

“Yes, it has.”

His face shifts to a concerned, puzzled expression, lips curving down in a slight frown as he turns his gaze away from her.

“Do you really feel like you haven't already bought enough things?”

“Karna,” Tamamo lets out a long-suffering sigh, “How can I look my best if I don't have a wardrobe that helps me achieve that? I can't be the perfect wife if I don't look gorgeous on a daily basis.”

Karna stares down at the egregious amount of shopping bags that hang off both of his arms, discounting the several he already has in his hands.

“...This is still excessive.”

“Well, we are in _New York City._ America itself is the land of excess,” she places her hand on her waist, “And I need to be the cutest person in the stadium when I go watch the exhibition match tomorrow,” her head tilts in curiosity, and her hand comes off her waist as she gestures towards him, “...Speaking of, I was surprised to see that you're not taking part in any matches this year. Didn't you join in when Nero was the one hosting?”

He nods, “I did. Those were in the Chaldea simulators, though,” he says, “...I had planned on signing up, but Ritsuka suggested I not participate this year.”

“Huh? That's not like her. What made her say that?”

“Before she left with Mash yesterday, she brought up the point that Arjuna would likely join in for the chance to fight me, and...how did she put it?” he pauses for a moment, “...“Because we're in reality, and not the simulators, the two of you fighting in an exhibition match without limits would probably lead to everything getting blown the hell up”, is what she said.”

Tamamo hums.

“You know, she's got a point.”

“..."

He stays silent, but the abashed aversion of his eyes is enough of an answer.

“But on another note,” she claps her hands, “Before we head back, there's one last place I'd like to go ☆”

He follows behind her as they walk along the sidewalk, and Karna is thankful there are fewer people out and about than there were when Tamamo began her spree. It isn't the easiest thing to maneuver in the limited space that is the New York City sidewalks with bags of every article of clothing he can think of hanging off his arms.

And while he is mostly enjoying the time spent out and about, it would've been nice to have seen Ritsuka before being asked by Tamamo to join her in her excursion to the city's many fashion stores. He'd only been in the city for an hour and the hotel for five minutes before she'd hauled him up to her room, brushed out his hair, slapped some clothes on him, and beckoned him away from the hotel he was supposed to be staying at along with Ritsuka and most of the other Servants.

At least the lobby looked nice, from what he'd seen of it.

The sun is starting to set on the city that never sleeps, and even though it's early fall, he can clearly see his breath when he exhales out. He's not cold, but he knows it _is_ cold, and even though he's aware that Tamamo is her own facet of the Sun Goddess, Karna still can't help but eye the short-shorts she's wearing with severe doubt. The thigh-high socks are _probably_ helping, but that also seems to be offset by the fact that she halfway unzipped the jacket she's wearing, where she only has a bra on underneath. It's especially strange given the clothes she gave to _him_ to wear. A black jacket, black pants, blue striped shirt and a long-sleeved purple vest are significantly more practical than what she changed into...he's not sure why she didn't just wear something similar.

He studies her in for a few more seconds, before finally voicing his concerns.

“...You're...really not cold?”

She turns her head to look at him, a mischievous smile on her face, “You're not the only one here connected to the sun, Karna-san ♥”

“I understand that, but...”

“And it's not like the clothes I gave you are particularly warm, either.”

Karna looks at her, then down at himself.

_'...At least I'm wearing pants.'_

Tamamo makes her final stop at a jewelry store that looks extremely high-end and pricey, holding the door open for him as they walk inside. She says “ooh!” and gravitates towards a large, diamond necklace. Karna begins the same process he's gone through with the last nine shops she'd taken him to, planning to stay out of her way and let her do her thing until she finishes up, but he catches something out of the corner of his eye in the ring section.

He goes up to the display case, examining it through the glass. It is a silver ring, and a pink stone sits in the middle. On either side, the ring briefly twists to form a vine-like shape before turning back into smooth, circular metal. Little jeweled, pink flowers are placed on the vine segments of the ring, giving it the affectation of a cherry blossom tree branch.

Karna can't help but keep staring at it. It's the exact kind of thing Ritsuka likes.

“Are you actually interested in something, Karna?”

He hears Tamamo's voice, and turns to see her sidling up to him.

“That ring, with the pink stone,” Tamamo looks to the one he nods his head toward, “...I would like to get that for Ritsuka,” his eyes narrow, and go downcast, “...But...I did not bring any money with me.”

Tamamo stays quiet, and she squints down at it before she gradually looks back up at Karna, regarding him silently as she takes in just how utterly disappointed he is.

“...Karna, that's an engagem—.” she cuts herself off and gives him a smile that is far too friendly, “Hey, why don't I buy it for you?”

Though he is immediately aware that she is Up To Something when she gives him that smile, the shock of her generous offer overwhelms him to the point where it goes to the back of his mind, “That's...” Karna turns his gaze downward, and his lips pull into a thin line, his expression pensive, “...I don't have any way of paying you back.”

“What, like you hauling around my bags hasn't been enough?” he starts to speak, but she stops him before he can, “Ritsuka deserves something nice, and you can consider this a thank you for toting around my stuff for most of the day,” Tamamo raises her hand up high to flag down a staff member, “'Excuse me~! Can I get that ring along with those two necklaces over there?”

He stares mutely at Tamamo as she pays for the jewelry, patiently waiting for the staff member to finish packing it up once the transaction is finalized. When she finally notices that he hasn't stopped staring at her, she gives him a small shrug.

For a moment, he is still speechless, and it takes him a minute to finally find the right words to say, “...I do not know how to properly express just how grateful I am...Thank you, Tamamo,” his eyes flick towards the price of the ring shown in the display case, then back to Tamamo, “Though...I'm not sure where you were able to obtain all the money you've spent today. Should I even be asking about it?”

She smiles cutely at him.

“No ♥”

He is given one last, small bag to hold onto, and Tamamo yawns, stretching her arms out high above her head as they step onto the sidewalk outside. As they make their way back to their hotel, bright, yellow taxis are lined up bumper-to-bumper in the street.

Tamamo glances over her shoulder at him as she struts down the sidewalk, “When you give that ring to her, make sure you open the box, get down on one knee, and present it to her,” she quickly elaborates when he gives her a look of pure confusion in response, “It's a...special, Japanese romance tradition. Don't worry, she'll know what it means when you do it~☆!”

Karna furrows his brow, and the knowledge that she is Up To Something comes back to the forefront of his mind.

“That...doesn't sound right.”

“Hey,” she stops walking for a minute, turning to face him with her hands on her hips, and pedestrians give them annoyed glares as they move around them, “Would you like to remind me how much _you_ know about modern romance?”

“That isn't relevant—.”

“Karna,” she crosses her arms and has an unamused look on her face, “Answer the question.”

Karna opens his mouth to speak...but she is, unfortunately, right, and there's absolutely nothing he can say to refute her. He brings his lips back together, and his eyes drift off to the side in modest embarrassment before they shut entirely as his cheeks become tinged with the color red.

“That's what I thought.”

They approach their hotel—a golden skyscraper that extends up high and imposing over the city. Its height obscures the sun as it begins its slow descent to the horizon, painting the sky a harsh gradient of blue to orange. As they get closer, the doorman sees them, and visibly double takes when he notices the two Servants.

“Oh, you...” he digs through the pocket of his shirt, “A redheaded girl came by and asked me to give this to “a really pale guy with red eyeliner who should be with a girl who has fox ears”. I'm assuming that's you?”

Tamamo ignores Karna's murmur of “...I don't know what eyeliner is”, and she raises an eyebrow at the doorman, “...You're not wondering why I have fox ears?” she looks down and behind her shoulder, “Or a tail?”

“Er...I apologize, Miss, but this is New York City. I've seen weirder just within the past two hours.”

He holds out a folded piece of paper towards Karna, who regards it, then glances down at all bags he's carrying. Tamamo shakes her head, taking every one of the bags he's holding in his hand and sliding off several more from his right arm to hold herself, and the sleeve of the black jacket she'd given him to wear pulls down slightly as she does so. It frees up his hand to take the piece of paper, though, and he unfolds it as they walk inside.

_Karna!_

_I was hoping to see you after you got to the city, but apparently Tamamo grabbed you and took off before I got back. I'm staying in room 1805 on floor eighteen (obviously). They don't have a thirteenth floor here, it's really weird? So technically I'm on the seventeenth floor. But when you get on the elevator, hit the button that says 18! The room A.U.O gave me is really nice!_

_~ Ritsuka_  


“Does she put a drawing like that on all her notes?”

“She does,” Karna says as they head into the elevator.

“...It's really cute,” Tamamo huffs as she presses the button for the tenth floor, where her own room is, “I can't believe I never thought of that. I need to step up my game.”

The elevator dings as it reaches her floor, and Karna carefully hands off the rest of her plentiful amount of shopping bags to her.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” she sets the bags down and digs out the ring she purchased for him, putting her foot in the elevator door to keep it from closing, “Here you go,” Karna catches it as she lightly tosses it to him, “Remember to do what I told you.”

He nods, and the doors close as she walks off towards her room with her many, many items. The box is small in the palm of his hand, and he places it in the pocket of his jacket when the elevator stops as it reaches the eighteenth floor. His walk to the room Ritsuka is staying in is a surprisingly short one, as the ornate doors for the rooms are spaced widely between each other. Room 1805 is at the end of the hallway, and he lightly knocks against it once he stands before it.

He hears the sound of it unlocking, and when Ritsuka sees him, she is visibly, but pleasantly, surprised. While the surprise wears off quickly, Ritsuka's eyes are still soft and tender as she looks at him, and it takes her no time at all to reach for his hand and tug him inside. The door closes behind him once her hand leaves it, and she stands on her toes, hands gently pressed against his chest, as she kisses him. His arm wraps around her small waist as her lips part for him, and she tastes of caramel and warm apple cider. When they part, her fingers sweep his hair out of his eyes, and she takes in how he's dressed.

“I didn't expect to see you looking like this!” she says, sounding delighted, “Your hair is even put up in a ponytail...I'm guessing that this was all Tamamo's doing?”

“Yes,” her fingers pull a little on the blue strings at the top of his blue striped shirt before they splay out against his chest, “When I arrived, Tamamo was in the lobby, having come back from sightseeing. She said that it would be strange for me to walk around how I normally do, and that I should “dress like a person for once in my life”,” he glances off to the side, “...I didn't really understand it, but she brought up the point that I should adapt to the environment I'm in. I'm not sure where she found the clothes I'm wearing, but...” her hands slide down from his chest to link with his own, “Once she was satisfied with how I looked, she demanded I join her on her shopping trip. I didn't think it would take as long as it did.”

“I'm glad you're finally back, but...why did she make you go with her, anyway?” she tilts her head, “You're not exactly materialistic.”

“She needed someone to carry her bags.”

Ritsuka looks at him like she's in mild pain.

“Karna, that's...”

“The amount of stamina Tamamo possesses...I had no idea. Really, it was extraordinary,” his eyes go downcast, “But it was unfortunate I wasn't able to get back to you sooner.”

“It's not your fault,” she sighs, “But I'm guessing you weren't able to settle in at all.”

“No,” his expression turns troubled, “I wasn't able to see what room I was given before Tamamo requested my help.”

She fixes him a confused stare, “Room you were given—Karna, you were just supposed to go up to the front desk and say you're here as a Servant and they'd give you a room key,” he stares blankly at her, “Gilgamesh _bought the hotel._ The only people who are staying here are Servants and me.”

Karna blinks.

“Oh,” he scans the too-large-for-one-person room, “...You said the King of Heroes gave you this room?”

“He did,” she says in an exasperated tone, before letting out another sigh, “He took the Presidential Suite, because of course he did, but he said that I could take “the second best room” as a reward for “being a Master of surprising competence despite my incredible mediocrity”.”

Karna frowns, “You are more than mediocre.”

“That's not the compliment you think it is.”

“...I see. Let me try again,” he goes quiet as he thinks through what he wants to say, “...You're inexperienced as a Master, but you've surprised many of us by managing to rise above mediocrity.”

The face Ritsuka is making towards him is one of pure sympathy.

“Did I still not...?”

She cups his jaw and brings him down to kiss him.

“I know what you're trying to say, but you need to stop while you're behind.”

“Understood.”

His hands rest on her hips, and he takes in the room; for being apparently “the second nicest room”, it is ostentatious nearly to the point of gaudiness, with gilded curtains and a giant chandelier hanging over a comfortable seating arrangement with sofas and chairs that are just as opulently designed as everything else in the room. There are two doors on either side of the room that are closed, but must lead to the bathroom and bedroom. On one of the sofas gathered around a plasma TV and a fireplace, there is a fringed, brown, plaid scarf and a red coat thrown over the back of it.

“This room seems to be too big for just one person. Is Mash staying with you?”

“No, she's not. We planned on it, but, well...” she rocks her head from side to side, “Caster Gilgamesh didn't want to be beholden to his Archer form so he bought his _own_ hotel and is staying there, along with baby Gil...we figured one of us should stay with AUO and one of us should go with CasGil. We rock-paper-scissored for it and she got CasGil.”

“I see.”

Her eyebrows furrow together, “If I'm being honest, it feels like this room would've been awkward to share with Mash. I don't know how to describe it...It's all just a little strange. There were all these rose petals in the shape of a heart on the bed when I first came in, and there was champagne in a bucket on the table?” she shakes her head, “I just gave it to Jing Ke, it's not like I can drink it. And there was a note from the hotel staff that came with the alcohol. It was in English, though...even though I'm conversational in it I still can't read or write it very well.

“I asked Artoria to translate it for me and she got weirdly cagey about it even though she said that it was just a note welcoming me. And for such a big room, there's only one bed...I've slept in the same bed as Mash plenty of times but I get the feeling that we would've been uncomfortable sharing it this time,” her eyes widen slightly, and she shyly looks down and away as her cheeks turn a soft pink, “B—But obviously, I'm okay sharing it with you...”

The flush goes up to the tips of her ears as he leans in to gently kiss her forehead.

“But anyway, since there's a little bit of light left in the day, I was hoping we could go to Central Park and walk around for a bit. Is that okay?”

He scans her up and down. Though the plush sweater she's wearing has long sleeves, she's only wearing black short-shorts and tights beneath it, which aren't exactly ideal for cold weather. The coat and scarf he can see on the back of the sofa would probably help, but he can't imagine she would still manage to be warm. Karna also eyes the two fluffy, pale pink pom-poms on the hair tie she's using; they're entirely irrelevant to how impractically she's dressed, but he takes note of them anyway because of how cute they make her look.

“Yes, but it's cold outside. And the sun is starting to set.”

“Don't worry about me,” she tugs at her sweater, “I know this isn't a Mystic Code but my scarf and coat keep me surprisingly warm,” he feels her fingers entwine with his own, and she smiles gently at him as her voice becomes soft and honey-sweet, “And if I do get too cold, I'll just stand closer to you.”

“Hm...” he tips his head down as she touches her lips to his in a short kiss, “While I have no problem keeping you warm...it may be a good idea to invest in more clothes appropriate for the weather while you're here,” he looks at her questioningly, “Do you want me to take you to the shops Tamamo went to? She told me I did an incredible job carrying her bags.”

“Karna, I buy all my clothes online.”

Ritsuka kisses him on the cheek before grabbing her scarf and coat off the back of the couch they had been haphazardly tossed on and putting them on. She slips on a pair of simple black boots, and reaches for his hand, giving it a gentle tug.

“C'mon, let's get going.”

The walk to the elevator is short, and it takes them very little time to make their way down to the lobby. As they step outside, where the blue hue of the sunset has slowly begun to overtake the orange, the crisp fall air promptly takes its effect on Ritsuka's face, and her cheeks turn bright red, along with the tips of her nose and ears. She buries her face further into her scarf, and as they come to a crosswalk that instructs them to wait, Karna dips his head down and kisses against her temple. He hears her mutter a weak “I'm okay”, but she grips his hand tighter and scoots closer to him. Ritsuka breaks away from him quickly, though, and she looks down with a confused expression on her face, before going “oh” in realization.

Rows of lights illuminate the path forward, and despite the fact that it's both cold and getting darker, there are still a few pedestrians in the park, though the number is slowly but surely dwindling as they walk further on, and the stretches of time in-between the people they pass by get longer and longer. Fallen leaves of all different shades of red, yellow, and orange litter the pavement, and Ritsuka spots the occasional leaf fluttering to the ground from the trees they sprouted from as autumn continues to take its toll.

As they continue further along the path, past an ice rink that Ritsuka stares at longingly for a moment before shaking her head, her eyes light up as she spots a food cart, and her hand breaks from his as she jogs up to it. Karna can hear her speak accented English to the vendor, and she fishes out a few dollar bills from a pocket in her coat before trading them for what looks like coffee.

He looks at her curiously as he breaches the distance between them, and she says one last “thank you” to the vendor before they continue on, “...Coffee this late in the day?”

“Of course not! It's hot chocolate,” she cradles the cup with both hands and takes a sip, “I thought this might help heat me up.”

“I see,” he visibly deflates, “...Sorry. It seems I'm not doing a very good job at keeping you warm.”

“Karna, don't look so upset! You're doing fine!”

In spite of her words, he still seems somewhat depressed. She shakes her head with a fond smile on her face, and Ritsuka drops her left hand from the cup to intertwine her fingers with his.

“There. Now you're keeping me nice and toasty.”

Ritsuka watches as his mood lifts almost immediately, and she can't help but let out a short, soft laugh.

They continue down the path at Ritsuka's pace until they come across a long bridge over a lake; there is a sign near the start of it that identifies it as “Bow Bridge”. The sun casts a glow of orange on the water as it gently ripples, causing the reflections of the autumn trees to warp and distort as they drop their leaves onto the lake. Ritsuka stops near the middle of the bridge to look out over the water while Karna strokes along her hand with his thumb as he stands with her.

“Wow, that's really pretty...” she hums, “This is the first time I've been in a big city since the Singularity in Shinjuku. Being in New York is a lot nicer than being there was, though. Honestly, I'm pretty glad that Gilgamesh took over hosting this year. I don't think I would've had another chance to come here otherwise,” Ritsuka looks at him with sympathy, “Er, sorry you can't participate, though. I just...really didn't want to risk a huge destruction of property, especially since I have no idea if Gilgamesh would be willing to pay for it if it happened.”

“It is disappointing, but I have to admit that you're right to be concerned about the damage that could be caused.”

“I mean...Well. Remember when we went to Rome for material farming and you used Brahmastra Kundala?” she says, “And you leveled a forest?”

“...Yes,” he admits in a strained voice, “I remember.”

“Well, I went to America with Mash and Arjuna and he _also_ leveled a forest,” she takes a sip of her hot chocolate, and there is an amused glint in her eye, “New York gets messed up enough as it is in the movies, I don't think we should be giving them more inspiration for ways it can get destroyed.”

She hums and huddles in close to his right side for warmth, but the moment is short lived. Ritsuka fidgets against him, and furrows her eyebrows. Once she pulls away, she presses one of her hands against his pocket.

“Wait, no...that's not big enough to be a phone—wait, what's wrong with me? Why did I think _you_ would have a phone in the first place?” she presses more firmly against the box before she brings her hand back, “Karna, what do you have in your pocket?”

Karna closes his eyes and nods.

“Ah...I had almost forgotten.”

Stepping back from her, Karna fishes the box out of his pocket, and gets down on one knee.

“I was told this is how I'm supposed to do this.”

“What do you m—.”

He opens the box in front of her, and whatever Ritsuka was going to say completely fails her. The grip she has on the cup of hot chocolate in her hand goes loose, and Karna watches as it falls unceremoniously to the ground below, spilling its contents in a wavy line as it rolls a little ways away, but Ritsuka doesn't even seem to be aware that she's dropped it. Her arm falls limply at her side as she stares at him in total silence, her orange eyes blown wider than he's ever seen them.

There is a lump in her throat when she swallows, and, even though it took her a second, she remembers how to say words again.

“...Karna,” Ritsuka starts weakly, “Do you know what you're doing right now?”

He looks at the ring in his hand.

“I was...going to give this to you.”

Ritsuka closes her eyes, and her whole face turns a bright shade of red. Her hand comes up to cover her mouth, but he's able to hear the desperate whine she makes anyway.

“Are you...”

She's muffled by her hand, and it slips down and off her face. There is a long pause where she tries to compose herself, and when she finally speaks again, her voice is just barely above a squeak.

“...Are you actually asking me to marry you?”

He blinks.

_'...Did she just...'_

What she said finally clicks, and his eyes go wide as his heart beats frantically in his ears.

While Karna hadn't been sure what was going to happen when he gave the ring to her, this was not even close to how he imagined things would go.

“I—I...”

He knows that the answer to her question is technically “no”, but as he tries to deny it, the word sticks to his tongue, and he can't get himself to say it. Subsequently, he has absolutely no idea what he should say or how he should answer her.

It's all they can do to just stare at each other, both of them gone rigid. Ritsuka is usually the one who _helps_ him when he gets stuck in situations where he knows he _needs_ to say something but doesn't know _what,_ but she is just as dumbstruck as he is with what's happening. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see the lake, and he is sincerely considering jumping in and never coming back out.

His brain finally catches up with what's going on, and he's able to get himself to take a deep breath.

_'I am just...going to give her the box.'_

Karna stands, slowly, and bridges the gap between himself and Ritsuka. Closing the ring box, he reaches for her hand and gently places it in her palm. He starts to take a step back, but Ritsuka looks at him in panic and grabs his hand in a sharp tug.

“Wait! I—I didn't say no!”

“What—.”

His eyes go even wider.

The implications of what she just said register with him immediately; Karna nearly chokes, and he can feel just how hot his face has become. He covers his mouth with his hand, and tilts his head down as his eyes tightly squeeze shut. This has all just been...so, so much.

“I—I,” she starts nervously, “I-I just, I don't have any idea how marrying a Servant would work, at all,” Ritsuka twiddles her index fingers together, “I just—I don't think that—I don't know if there's a way to make it legally binding, or...or if Chaldea has any way of certifying it, or what...marriage laws of what country they use. And I—I know Amakusa is a priest but I don't think he can officiate a wedding? I...There's just s-so many weird legal things that would need to be ironed out, but...” she averts her eyes to the side, looking out towards the lake as her cheeks only grow more red, “But—But I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it, so...I...um...” her bangs obscure her face as she tilts her head down, “...I'm not...saying no...”

Karna takes his hand away from his mouth, and stares at her, his face still plenty flushed. This has officially become something he needs to explain, and while he's not sure at how well he'll be able to do it, he resolves to give it a shot.

The sleeves of the purple vest Tamamo gave him wrinkle beneath his palms as he places his hands on Ritsuka's shoulders.

“...I...didn't expect things would turn out this way.”

She blinks at him owlishly, “Wh-What do you mean?”

“It wasn't my intention to...” he looks away from her, tips of his ears bright pink, “...propose marriage.”

Ritsuka squints down at the box in her hand, then back up at him.

“So, wait, back up. You didn't intend to...” she pauses...and when she speaks again, her voice has raised in both pitch and volume, “What?! Then what were you trying to do in the first place?!” she opens the box, and turns it so he can see the ring, pointing to it, “K-Karna, most women would see this as a fancy engagement ring. It's _beautiful,_ and—the gem in the middle, that's a pink diamond, and it's pretty big!” she closes the box, “Really, I—I don't—just...Karna, what were you trying to do?”

“The last store Tamamo went to was a jewelry store. I saw this in a display case and thought it would be something you'd like,” he explains, “I wanted to purchase it and give to you, but I did not have any money with me. Tamamo then went out of her way to buy it for me, and...while I still appreciate the gesture, I now can't help but question just how good her intentions really were.”

She stays quiet for a moment, studying him and taking in what he just said.

“...Karna, you...” her eyes go down to the box, before flicking back up to him, “...you got _this_ for me...just...” she swallows, and her voice becomes quieter, “...just because I would like it?”

He nods.

There is a beat, before his breath catches in his throat as she yanks him down by the front of his jacket to crush her mouth to his. He...hadn't been expecting this, nor was he expecting just how forceful she would be when she kissed him, but he really, truly, does not mind.

When she pulls away, her eyelashes flutter against her cheek, and a smile, soft and sweet, appears on her face, “Thank you,” she stands on her toes to briefly touch her lips to his one last time before she fully settles back down on the ground, “But that doesn't explain why you got on one knee. Did you not know what that pose means?”

“It was not something I knew about. I'm not...” he frowns slightly, “Tamamo told me it was a “special, Japanese romance tradition”. I had my doubts when she said that, but...I admittedly don't know much when it comes to romance,” his frown deepens, “I'm sorry...I know I am not very good at this.”

“Karna,” she sweeps his hair out of his eyes and places her left hand against his face, “Don't worry about trying so hard,” he places his hand on top of hers, “You're so earnest that most of the time you end up making my heart beat faster just by saying something so painfully sincere,” Ritsuka's eyes dart down to the box in her other hand, “Or by going way out of your way to do something for me that you know will make me happy.”

She smiles at him so brightly, so warmly, and his hand grips hers tighter.

“Just be you. That's all I've ever wanted.”

He dips his head down to kiss her, and she stands on her toes to meet him. As his hand drops from hers, arm wrapping around her waist, he can taste hot chocolate when she opens her lips to him.

The sun has finally fallen below the horizon, only a small sliver of orange left in the sky, and the light of the moon now reflects on the calm water instead. Karna feels her shivering as she moans softly against him, and he draws her in closer to his chest. His palm spreads out flat against the small of her back when the kiss finally breaks, and he gingerly touches his lips to her forehead. When he pulls away, he sees her looking up into his eyes.

“...Here,” she speaks softly, and creates a wider space between them as she places the ring box against his chest, “Go ahead and put it on me.”

When she looks up at him with her large, pretty eyes, he can see the moon reflected in them.

The hinge on the box makes a quiet clicking noise as he opens it and slips the ring out, before he shuts it and places it back in his pocket. Ritsuka raises her pallid left hand for him to take, and her skin is cold to the touch as he slides the ring on her finger; it fits perfectly, and Karna tentatively lets go of her hand when it's all the way on. She looks down at the ring, and the longer she does so, the more watery her eyes become. Ritsuka turns her gaze up to him, and her eyes are illuminated by the nearby lamp posts, shining as brightly as the sun.

He can feel just how icy the ring is through his shirt as she places her hands against his chest, but it soon goes to the back of his mind as she stands on her toes to kiss him. His hands reach for hers, and he cradles both of them close to his body as he feels her lips curve into a smile. Gradually, as they stay locked together, he feels her skin become warmer and warmer beneath his fingers.

Ritsuka's lips are the same color of bright red that her cheeks are when the kiss finally, hesitantly, breaks. A few tears roll down her cheeks, and Karna gently thumbs them away before he takes her hands once more.

“It would be a good idea to head back soon,” he says, breaking the silence, “You're freezing.”

She nods, and sniffs, “Y...Yeah,” her voice wobbles a little, but she takes a deep breath and rights herself, “You're probably right.”

There's no effort from her to move, though. Instead, Ritsuka adjusts so she's slotting her fingers between the spaces of his. Her eyes stay firmly placed on the ring on her finger, and it glistens softly in the moonlight.

Ritsuka finally tears her gaze away from it, looking up at him with so much love in her eyes, and it's a look Karna returns as easily as he breathes.

“C'mon,” she squeezes his hands, “Let's get going.”

**Author's Note:**

> ive never been to new york city please be nice
> 
> [this](https://i.imgur.com/l8dsbfr.png) is the outfit that ritsuka wears and [this](https://i.imgur.com/e5ESyBx.png) is what tamamo wears. [this](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f4/3c/99/f43c99f3fed4a7ee6a94b9b4d9cb7eea.png) was the reference image i used for the ring
> 
> and yes i know karna was married in the mahabharata but nasuverse karna and mahbharata karna might as well be in two separate tri-state areas in terms of similarity. in this house we take the lore we need for things to be funny and ignore all the rest.


End file.
